Dallas Cowboys Blog

Keep an eye on Cowboys linebacker Leon Williams

Through the two days of organized team activities that have been open to the media, one linebacker has caught my eye a couple of times – Leon Williams.

Signed in January to a futures contract after spending last year playing for New York in the UFL, Williams has three years of NFL experience, having played for Cleveland and starting nine games. At 6-2, 250, he has good size and it looks like he can move around pretty good too.

He got a good recommendation from former defensive line coach Todd Grantham, who was the Browns’ coordinator when Williams was there. Wade Phillips said Williams did a good job as a sub package player for the Browns and so far he’s noticed something else about him:

“He’s got a real good presence about him,” Phillips said. “I don’t know what it is but a lot of the players are on team already have a lot of respect for him, for whatever that means. I think he’s done well. It’s a different system for him. He’s a rookie in some ways as far as learning what we’re doing, but he’s commanded a lot of respect pretty quickly.”

The Cowboys are pretty deep at linebacker but Williams could force his way into the mix with his special teams’ play for sure. Maybe the Cowboys got a little heavier at linebacker than they have in recent years if he shows some ability.